


Found

by RickylLover



Category: The Walking Dead, The walking dead TV
Genre: AU with no ZA, Cop Rick, First Meet, Good Friend Shane, Leon Bassett is a duchebag with delusions of grandeur, Lori is Shane's wife, Lori was never with Rick, M/M, No ZA, Thanksgiving, search party volunteer Daryl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-03 11:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12747318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickylLover/pseuds/RickylLover
Summary: Sophia goes missing and Daryl assists Rick in looking for her.





	Found

**Author's Note:**

> Another Rickyl idea! I have not watched episode 5, but I know what happens and I figured some Rickyl fluff was needed. Hope you like it. : )

     Rick always worked Thanksgiving. Volunteered for it. So Shane could stay home with Lori and Carl. And turkey and mashed potatoes. Pie. While Rick drank shitty coffee at the station and microwaved his Swanson's TV dinner. And waited for the call that always came in. At the Peletier's. Drunk old Ed beatin' on his wife.

     Only this year it was different. And it came before Rick's microwave dinner was done. Not that he minded leaving frozen turkey behind. This time the call at the Peletier's was not a domestic dispute. It was a missing kid. Sophia. 'Course she probably ran off because she saw her daddy beating on her mom. Or maybe the son-of-a-bitch was beatin' on her now, too.

     Rick pulled up to the scene about the same time as Shane. A little girl goes missing, you look for her. Holiday or not. And it was all hands on deck. Whole neighborhood joining in. Tents set up, maps being passed out. Flashlights.

     "You even get dinner?" Rick jogged over to Shane.

     Shane was still strapping on his gun belt and making his uniform presentable. "Naw, man, I was just cuttin' into the turkey."

     "Sorry, brother," Rick took the map and styrofoam cup of coffee one of the deputies shoved at him.

     "You kiddin', man," Shane took a coffee as well. Flashed a grin. "You have tasted Lori's cookin', right?"

     Rick nodded. "Tough and dry."

     "Same could be said of her mother," Shane huffed and tossed his empty cup in his car. "C'mon."

     They didn't get but ten steps when a riot damn near broke out at the coffee station. Leon Bassett throwin' his weight around like he had any authority at all, tellin' some hunter with a crossbow they don't need his kind. Hell, lost little girl and they could use all the help they could get. So Rick dragged Shane over to help diffuse the situation.

     "The hell's wrong with y'all?" The guy were swinging his bare arms. All muscle. Knocking over stacks of maps and folding chairs. But, ain't never actually lunging for Leon. "Ya wanna find that kid er not?"

     As much as Rick would like to see this guy give Leon a fat lip he could tell it was all show. Frustration. There were no onlookers to disperse, they were all looking for Sophia. Just a bunch of flattened chairs Rick had to step over. So it was easy getting to him.

     The guy swung around, staring at Rick. And he must have seen something in him he could trust. He stopped pacing and shifting foot to foot. Yelling. And Rick saw something in him, too. Kind eyes. Begging for anyone to listen.

     "What seems to be the problem?" Rick ignored Leon. Taking in the hunter's choppy blonde hair. The mole above his lip. He was covered in dirt and the most beautiful thing Rick had ever seen. If a man could be beautiful.

     Before the hunter could speak again Leon was stepping in. "This man is irate and a danger to the public." And it was only then Rick saw Leon fumbling to get his handcuffs off his belt.

     Rick tilted his head. Like Shane says he always does when you shouldn't fuck with him. "I'd be irate, too if some asshole was keepin' me from findin' a lost girl."

     Shane huffed out a laugh as he slowly moved in closer, too. "And I think the only things in danger here are a couple of damn chairs."

     Rick closed the gap between him and the man Leon had been hassling. "He's armed yet never raised his weapon." Poor guy was just standing there chewing his thumb now. Taking in the shit show that was Leon Bassett 'in charge.'

     "Ain't exactly armed," Daryl clarified. "Use this fer huntin' is all." Even then he was careful not to point his bow at anything but the ground.

     Rick nodded in agreement. "What have you got against this man?"

     "He-he's a Dixon," Leon gushed. Like that explained everything. "Arrested his brother a couple times."

     Dixon sounded familiar. Bar fights mostly. But, Rick had never seen this man. And he'd have remembered him. "You ever arrested..." he looked over to the man. Made eye contact.

     "Daryl," the man spoke. Much softer this time. When he wasn't being attacked.

     Rick nodded a greeting. "I'm Officer Grimes," he eased his hand out. Palm up to show he meant no harm. Placed it on Daryl's shoulder. "Have you ever had problems with Daryl?"

     Leon turned white as a sheet. Which would highlight the black and blue Rick wanted to give him. "N-no," Leon faltered.

     "Then, what the hell's the damn problem, man." Shane slammed a metal chair back into place. Making Daryl flinch. "Just serve the damn coffee and leave the actual police work to.." he winked at Rick, "to those that can handle it."

     "Listen," Rick looked back at Daryl who was even more beautiful now that he was calm. "You think you could track her?"

     Daryl'd chewed his thumb to bleeding. Jabbed it in Leon's direction. "That's what I was tryin' ta tell that asshole b'fore..." he shrugged the broadest shoulders Rick had ever seen. Almost shy. "Sorry."

     "Nah, man," Shane caught up to them. "Leon's an asshole alright."

     Daryl quirked a smile. Just the corners of his mouth really. And Rick couldn't help wondering what he could do to make him show his teeth. "Her house is two blocks from here, they said on the radio she'd last been told to go to her room, but not confirmed seen there," Rick offered what he knew as he led the way.

     Daryl huffed, "We sure he ain't said that jus' 'cuz he hurt 'er bad 'nough he don't want ya ta find 'er right 'way?"

     "Jesus, I hope not," Shane sucked in a breath.

     "M' ol' man hid me in the wood shed three damn days one time after the neighbors called the cops, told 'em the noise was jus' us havin' a arguement an' that I run off after."

     Rick had seen scars on Daryl as he flailed at Leon. Where his shoulders poked out of his sleeveless shirt. So he knew Daryl was the best man to look for Sophia, that it was important to him. Understood his earlier frustration all the more. "It was her mom that told her to go to her room," he clarified. Like that made the situation any better.

     "Prob'ly ta protect her," Daryl gruffed. "While's he beat on her ma." He seemed to perk up a little. "Prob'ly jus' ran 'way then so's she don't gotta listen to it." Daryl had a look about him like he never ran from anything.

     "That's the house," Rick pointed it out. Though it was obvious with all the patrol cars and flashing lights out front.

     Daryl hung his head as they approached. Reverant as he watched the mother bawling on the porch. Under one of those stupid blankets they always hand out for people in shock. "Ya know which window's her room?"

     Shane jogged over to the nearest patrolman. And after a brief chat pointed to the back. "First window on the left. I'ma talk to the mother."

     Rick let Daryl lead the way through the back yard. He was a wall of muscle and agile as a cat on the prowl. "Dogs ain't picked up much of a trail," Rick translated the jibberish over his radio for Daryl.

     "No offense, but they's goin' by smell," Daryl kicked the plastic pool she probably ran through in her panic. "Not tracks." He hunkered down low. Scanning. "There," he pointed to the treeline. The smallest divots in the ground. A broken branch.

     Rick followed. Mesmerized. Every bit as much by Daryl's skill as by Daryl himself. The way he moved. The way he talked. The way he...looked. "Thanks for helping," Rick whispered. Why he was so quiet he wasn't sure. But, it could have something to do with the way Daryl made his mouth go dry. And his palms sweaty.

     "Thanks fer steppin' in so's I could," Daryl whispered, too. 'Course he probably just don't want to spook the kid if they find her.

     "Ain't no one deserves to be scared and alone out here in the cold," Rick offered. Trying not to imagine how many times it had happened to Daryl.

     Daryl looked back over his shoulder. Met Rick's eyes. "Hell, kid's prob'ly safer out here."

     Two hours later and Rick couldn't even guess how many miles into the woods and they found the little girl. Daryl had taken Rick right to her. Holed up in the hollow of a tree. Daryl made himself small as he approached. Crouching down.

     "Hey, Sweetheart," his voice was so soft and warm Rick couldn't imagine him capable of yelling himself hoarse at Leon before. "I's out huntin'," he shifted the crossbow on his shoulder, "but yer bigger game'n I'm lookin' for." The little girl's wide eyes did nothing to deter him. "Ya seen any rabbits out this way?"

     She shook her head. Squeezed her doll. And still Daryl kept a respectful distance. "Ya mind 'f I take a look up in these woods?"

     She shrugged. But, stayed in her hole. And Daryl made a show of poking around a few other trees before he sat back down in front of Sophia's. "Been a long walk out here an' 'm starvin'." He dug something out of his pocket. Jerky wrapped in a red rag. "Ya mind 'f I maybe eat m' dinner here?"

     No answer.

     "It ain't turkey an' all, but it sure is good." He broke off a piece. Talked with his mouth full. "You hungry?"

     Sophia nodded. But, she don't move.

     "You hungry?" He asked Rick this time. Giving him the perfect opportunity to get closer. And make himself known. Make himself small.

     Rick took it. "Sure am," he crawled over to Daryl on his hands and knees. Thankful for this man with him instead of Shane who might have scared the shit out of the kid. Because, it wasn't just about grabbing her, it was about not traumatizing her. She'd probably been through enough already.

     He sat next to Daryl. Bumped shoulders. "This sure is good," he chewed quietly. "We should probably share, huh?" But, he did not look over his shoulder to spook her. He did not have to. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Could tell she was on the move. Maybe a foot behind them.

     Soon enough she had picked her way through the leaves. And squeezed herself between them, "I ain't allowed to talk to no one," her voice was raspy and quiet. "But, you seem nice, not like Daddy at all."

     Daryl made an exhagerated bow. "Thank you, ma'am." He handed her a piece of the jerky. "Eat up."

     Sophia spoke up again, "And Mama says a policeman is always a friend, even though Daddy hates 'em like the dickens."

     "This one's sure friendly," Daryl shot Rick a grin. With teeth.

     Rick switched off his radio before it could squawk and scare Sophia. "How'd ya get so far from home?"

     "Just ran and ran like Mama said," Sophia squirmed between them. "I don't wanna go back, but I miss Mama, though." She bowed her head. "And I don't want to get in trouble."

     "I won't let that happen," Rick promised. "You did nothing wrong." Daryl shrugged like he knew all too well about empty promises. But, Rick kept going. "You wanna talk to your mom? Let her know you're okay?"

     Sophia perked up. But, she insisted, "Only Mama."

     Rick flipped his radio back on and called it in. Got one of the deputies to get Carol Peletier on the radio. And her voice was all it took to convince Sophia. She looked up at Daryl. "You think you could track my Mama better than you track rabbits?"

     "Challenge accepted," Daryl snorted. "Hop on," and he carried her home. Piggyback.

     Shane met them in the back yard after Carol swept Sophia away. "Well done, gentlemen." And it was not lost on Rick that Shane included Daryl.

     "What happened to you?" Rick wiped the blood from the corner of Shane's mouth.

     Shane flashed a grin that was all teeth. "Guess I riled up old Ed pretty good an' he took a swing at me." His smile split his lip again. "Had to put him down." He shook his hand. His knuckles were bloody, too.

     "Had to," Rick agreed. "Assaultin' an officer."

     "Fucker better rot in jail for it," Daryl snorted. "'Cuz he ain't gonna do no time fer hittin' on his kid." 'Cause she ain't never gonna tell. Just like Daryl didn't.

     "Ain't much," Shane smoothed his hair back down from the tussle. "But, it's a start." He climbed back in his car. Rolled the window down. "Listen, plenty of leftovers at my place if you're interested." And he peeled out into the night.

     Rick turned to Daryl. "I'd invite ya to Shane's, but..." Why couldn't he think of the words?

     "It's okay," Daryl turned to go. "I get it."

     Rick snagged his arm. "What I mean is, I'm not going either." The relief on Daryl's face gave him the courage to continue. "I mean, I got a half cooked TV dinner back at the station better than Lori's cooking."

     "Pff," Daryl humored him.

     Rick faltered. "I mean...what I'm askin' is...I think the diner's still open. Wanna see if they got a turkey special or somethin'?"

     Daryl shifted to the side. Hip cocked out. "I could do that."

     And over the course of the next two hours and two pots of coffee and a dive diner turkey dinner Rick got to know Daryl better. Got to be friends. He was looking for Sophia, but he found something for himself. In Daryl. Something he didn't even know he needed. And for once he had something to be thankful for. On Thanks fucking giving.

**Author's Note:**

> Dear readers, with thanksgiving coming I just want to let each of you know how thankful I am for your comments, kudos and encouragement! And - I will resume Chemistry Lesson next week. Hugs to you all! : )


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